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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732910">Just One Night's Rest</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromedarune/pseuds/andromedarune'>andromedarune</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters: Sword &amp; Shield | Pokemon Sword &amp; Shield Versions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(kind of?), Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, I wrote this over the course of several sleepless days so uh yeah there may be some errors, Just a short little thing, Piers in all his sleep-deprived glory, Rated teen for language, Reader don't like babies, just trying my best to save the piers/reader tag gimme a break lol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:22:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732910</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromedarune/pseuds/andromedarune</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Babies really aren't your jam, but if it's so your best friend can get a good night's rest for once, you're willing to make an exception.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nezu | Piers (Pokemon)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just One Night's Rest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Yeah, this is totally based off some fan art I saw on Twitter - it's by Squidbiscuit here if you wanna give it a look: https://twitter.com/Squidbiscuit/status/1330677554039164936?s=20 </p><p>Anyways, this man lives rent free in my head and I thank God for that so LET'S GET INTO IT!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was another nippy evening in the gloomiest town in the entire region. You kept a brisk walk going while you made your way towards the further ends of the city; if you focused hard enough, you could just barely hear the sound of waves lashing out against the cliffs way beyond the tall, run-down buildings of Spikemuth. It’s been years since you’ve traveled down that area, and yet you still remember all the backpaths into the forest that led to the bluff, which had been technically off-limits for decades, now. You’d basically memorized everything about this damn city, which can’t really be too surprising, all things considered. It was home, after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But now wasn’t the time for running through the town, seeking thrills and nostalgia. No, you found yourself on this side of town because your best friend decided that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>desperately</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed your help for - oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus knows what</span>
  </em>
  <span> - at damn near six o’clock at night. It wasn’t the first time he’s called you out here on short notice (and definitely wouldn’t be the last), so you had your own little pity-party before getting out of your comfy bed, putting back on all your winter gear, and trudging out into town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It isn’t too long of a trip, thankfully; you march up to the tall, banged-up steel gate that leads up to his house, mindlessly tapping in the numerical password you’d memorized years before. It opens easily. You walk through, stuffing your cold hands into your jacket pockets as you make your way up the porch steps and knock on the doorbell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment passes by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You stand there, shifting your weight from foot to foot, awkwardly trying to move around to create warmth without looking like a total moron. Your eyes glance at the doorbell just a few inches away from the door. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Probably still broken,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you think to yourself</span>
  <em>
    <span>. Fix your fucking shit, Piers.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Just before you think to call him, the door opens. Despite your best attempts, a snicker cuts through your mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers really can never be described as someone who looks “put-together,” but seeing him now - serious Zigzagoon eyes, ponytail ridden with worrisome knots, black sweater notably wet in odd places with an even </span>
  <em>
    <span>odder</span>
  </em>
  <span> substance, the weird red rubber gloves that were duct-taped onto his limbs, expression reaching newfound levels of grumpiness that just screams ‘I have never been more dead inside in my life’ - it’s impossible to </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> laugh. He just looks down at you as you throw a hand over your mouth; at least he seems a bit relieved that you’re here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, sorry,” you eventually manage to say, “your face there was perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever you say…” is his grumbling reply.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The taller man moves aside for you to enter, and you happily do. While the house itself isn’t much to really note (Piers was never one to keep too much stuff, even though he’s lived here for ages, now), you were kind of surprised to see that even with there hardly being anything around to mess up, literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span> looked all sorts of, well,</span>
  <em>
    <span> messed up</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The couch had that strange gooey stuff along the cushions, singe marks lining the armrests as well; a coffee table had been toppled over, one of the legs entirely missing; a trail of what looks to be blank sheet music papers lined down from the kitchen and disappeared down the hall. You gave Piers a confused glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This isn’t a datura party, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers shoots you an overdramatic offended gasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Course not! It’s just… uhg…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You open your mouth to say something, only for a distinct whine in the distance to cut you off. Immediately, you’re giving Piers a cold glare; the man laced his hands together, damn near going to a knee as he gave you the biggest set of pleading eyes he possibly could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please, please, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span> - I really need your help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t do babies, Piers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just a little Toxel - hardly anythin’ like a human baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah, because a pokemon baby is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much easier to take care of</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t really argue with that. But you could still see the hopefulness in his eyes as he tiptoed closer to you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I seriously need your help, though… With the concerts and the gym gettin’ ready to open up for the season, I’m runnin’ all over the place. And Toxel are super finicky - they need constant supervision! It’s bad enough havin’ to watch the little guy when I’m workin’, but I haven’t even had an inch of sleep in weeks. Just one night - that’s all I’m askin’.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’re you asking </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I’m not the one who raised </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> baby sibling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marnie doesn’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>anythin’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>on a baby Toxel. Besides, she’s staying the night at a friend’s house, and… well, you’re the only other person I can really trust with somethin’ like this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A loud crash in the distance catches your attention. You grimace, but when you return to look at your friend with the </span>
  <em>
    <span>full intent</span>
  </em>
  <span> of saying ‘Yeah, no,’ he’s got those big baby blue eyes glimmering down at you. Your grimace tightens. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You’re stronger than this, don’t let him get to you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-please,” he mutters pitifully, “I’ll… I’ll… I’ll owe you one - no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fifty</span>
  </em>
  <span>! I’ll buy all your video games, give you front row seats to shows, buy you more stuffed animals - just </span>
  <em>
    <span>please help me out here</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, when he’s begging like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> and making </span>
  <em>
    <span>that face</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’s really hard to say no. You glance off to the side, pretending to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>oh so inconvenienced by him</span>
  </em>
  <span> when really it’s that odd look in his eyes that’s making you a bit weak in the knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhg… </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But just tonight. And it’s not my fault if anything else gets broken - I’m really no good with babies, Piers. You’ll totally owe me for life after this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps driven mad from his sleeplessness, he nods without hesitation. You watch as he frantically rips off the rubber gloves and tosses them over onto the couch, making an attempt to run his fingers through his hair when it immediately snags and pulls a helpless groan of frustration from his throat. You laugh a bit at that, though it’s laced with some pity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers eventually guides you down the hall, pointing to the door just to the right; it’s partially open, the sounds of paper being ripped to shreds and the occasional croak of a baby Toxel all to be heard from its depths. Before you make you way down, he grabs your shoulders, forcing you to look up at him once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I seriously can’t thank you enough. Toxel isn’t anythin’ to be scared of - he’s just a baby, after all. Even bein’ a poison-electric type, he can’t really hurt you too bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not him I’m worried about...” you mumble out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers chuckles a bit, giving you a gentle pat on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t sweat it. He’s a toughie. I don’t think you could really hurt him if you tried. All I’m askin’ is that you keep an eye on him for a few hours, make sure he doesn’t eat nothin’ bad or </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely</span>
  </em>
  <span> destroy my house. But if it gets too much, just wake me up and I’ll take over - no problem, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You manage a nod. Piers gives you shoulders a little squeeze before turning on his heels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oooo</span>
  </em>
  <span>kayy…” he suddenly slurs out, stumbling into a wall briefly before reorienting himself. “... ‘m goin’ to bed… see ya at six…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh, sure. Night…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hums, disappearing down the shadows of the hall with only the soft click of his door closing to be proof that he didn’t vanish into the void. Hesitantly, you glance over at the baby room, where now banging sounds can be heard. You take a deep breath, gathering up all your resolve before heaving a harsh exhale. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alright! I can do this! How bad can this Toxel be, anyway?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>*Several God-Forsaken Hours Later…*</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Toxel, </span>
  <em>
    <span>please</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” you cried out, teetering left and right from a combination of balancing on the wobbly stool and from the sheer nausea you felt after getting hit face-first with a Toxic technique. Your hands were trembling from all the numbness pricking deep into your palms, but nevertheless, you reached hopelessly towards the baby pokemon. Toxel gave you a hearty raspberry, digging deeper into a jar of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Arceus know what</span>
  </em>
  <span> from atop the fridge. “Please, buddy, let’s go nigh-nigh. Wanna go nigh-nigh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toxel let out a belch, his chubby face covered almost completely in some kind of berry jam. At this point, you could hardly care about how Piers would react. Your main priority for the past several hours had been solely on getting a firm grip on the baby. And, true to the Spikemuth citizen, this little guy was being anything but obedient. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Desperately red eyes spun around the room, hoping for anything to entice Toxel into your hands. Thankfully, you were able to tuck away most everything dangerous that he might have gotten into (though at one point he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> get his hands on a spoon he found underneath the couch - it took you nearly an hour to finally get him out from there, especially when he found shocking you with the spoon just </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> entertaining). You looked across the dining room table, seeking the mess from an earlier meal you’d failed at making, to the countertops that you tried to clean gooey purple poison off of several times through the night, and even to the sink where you’d also tried (and, of course, </span>
  <em>
    <span>failed</span>
  </em>
  <span>) to give Toxel a bath. Nothing immediately caught your eye until…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your smile spread maniacally across your face as you honed in on a new target. Passing a sneaky glance to the baby, you reached over into a slightly ajar cabinet and grabbed a juicy-looking oran berry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Toxel~,” you coo affectionately to the pokemon. Initially, he lifts his head with perhaps full intention to blow another disgruntled raspberry in your direction, only for his eyes to widen in recognition of what you held out in your hand. A small, dare you say </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute</span>
  </em>
  <span> ribbit of curiosity was faintly heard from his throat. Toxel moved away from the berry jar, reaching his grubby little hands out to the berry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You gotta come here if you want the berry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toxel immediately complied, crawling towards the end of the fridge with no regard for if he fell. Even with the numbness from his electric secretion in his skin, you manage to snatch up the baby, pulling him close to your chest before he fell out of your grasp. A part of you nearly let out a mad cackle; another part of you considered crying. Thankfully, because you still had some semblance of sanity left in your husk of a body, you simply gave a tired sigh and looked down at the baby. “Okay… Snackies and then it’s off to sleepy time junction…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You slowly meandered back into the living room, stepping over various chair legs and abandoned drawers on route to the couch. Your body ached more and more the closer you got; you all but collapsed into the cushions, hardly caring about the poisonous slime or gooey </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever</span>
  </em>
  <span> that coated the entire piece of furniture. Toxel got cozy on your lap, gnawing at the berry. Seeing him so damn determined to eat the fruit pulled a light-hearted chuckle from your lips. Gently, you took the berry from his fingers, ignoring his growls of disapproval.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, Toxie,” you lowered your voice, letting the nails of your thumbs shakily dig into the thick skin of the fruit, pulling it apart so that the juicy innards were easily accessible. A light, sweet smell wafted immediately into the air. “You gotta take the skin off, first, buddy. Here ya go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toxel gratefully accepted the fruit, wasting no time in digging into the fruity flesh. Aside from his soft croaks of satisfaction, the house had finally seemed to fall silent. Slowly, your eyes began to flutter; your head leaned back. The pleasant environment that had befallen over the abode was far too comfortable to resist just another second more of darkness…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>… Piers slowly began to stir, letting out an involuntary groan as he rolled over to his back. His eyes fluttered open, and much to his surprise, the house wasn’t totally in pieces. Or, at least the chaos hadn’t spread into his room, yet. The man let out a soft chuckle at that thought. He’d definitely be hearing about this for a long time from you - but for that warm, cozy restfulness he had at the moment, it was definitely worth it. He just hoped you didn’t completely hate him. After all, he knew how nasty this certain Toxel could be, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew how much you hesitated when it came to young pokemon. But even if he’d basically end up handing over all his credit cards and bank accounts to you, Piers would make sure to let you know how grateful he was just for just this little favor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had his own little stretch and eventually pulled himself out of the warmth of his covers. He found himself glancing over at his closet door mirror, adjusting his hair a bit and resetting his slightly twisted up shirt - the poor lad was so tired the night before that he didn’t bother getting undressed like he normally does. Which was probably a good thing - not sure how he would have reacted if you ended up having to chase Toxel into his room and found him damn near skyclad. Before that thought could wander to some dangerous daydream, Piers quickly broke away from his reflection and headed towards the door. Now was probably a good time to rescue you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be honest, Piers figured that the house would be in a worse state. But judging by the piles of broken objects shuffled into corners or onto hastily wiped tables, it looks like you even tried to clean up a bit. He didn’t know why he laughed at that fact; probably because it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Piers shuffled down the hall, peering around corners with curious eyes that he may see you in some comical situation at the mercy of an infantile pokemon. However, much to his surprise, he could just barely hear the sound of snores coming from the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Piers leaned in, and immediately tensed up at the sight.</span>
</p><p><span>You, sprawled out on the couch with one leg dangling to the floor, baby Toxel all curled up nice and cozy on your chest. Both so sweetly sound asleep. Piers nearly passed out from it; even after all these years of knowing you, you had never seemed so… peaceful?</span> <span>Reticent? Maybe…. Even… </span><em><span>beautiful? </span></em><span>He looked down at the two of you for a few breaths more, memorizing every single aspect of this moment - it’d make for a great song, if he ever got the courage to write it. Eventually, he crept a bit closer, kneeling at your side with a soft exhale. Yeah, you were out like a light, and Toxel seemed no different. So the taller man indulged a bit more in the peacefulness of morning, leaning over the back of the couch with his eyes shut  and patiently waiting for you to wake up to him there.</span></p>
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